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COP29 climate agenda clouded by trade tensions ahead of top

China has actually put trade talks onto the proposed agenda for the COP29 summit, a. U.N. document showed, raising the prospect that the problem could. disrupt the start of international climate talks.

The draft agenda for this year's environment top, published. on Friday, consists of a Chinese proposal, formerly reported by. Reuters, for talks on carbon border taxes and other limiting. trade measures that Beijing states hurt establishing nations.

Delegates at the conference must embrace the summit agenda by. agreement as their first task when the COP29 talks start on Nov. 11 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

However some diplomats said the European Union is most likely to. oppose the Chinese proposition.

Failure to approve the program might postpone the start of. settlements - cutting into the time left for the primary task of. authorizing potentially hundreds of billions of dollars in new. funding to address environment change.

China sent the trade talks proposal on behalf of the. Standard group, which also includes Brazil, India and South Africa.

We will speak about it, relentlessly, South Africa's. Environment Minister Dion George informed Reuters.

George stated BASIC countries believe the U.N. talks is the. appropriate forum in which to discuss climate-related trade. policies, consisting of the EU's carbon border levy.

Fundamental nations have actually been strong critics of the EU carbon. border policy, which from 2026 will impose costs on imports of. high-carbon goods, including steel and cement.

We are displeased about it and we do not think it's good for. our economy, George said, including that South Africa and China. are having extreme discussions with the EU.

A European Commission representative decreased to comment.

The EU has formerly stated disputes over trade should be. dealt with at the World Trade Company.

One European mediator informed Reuters that it had always. been a no-go to talk about trade procedures such as carbon border. levies at U.N. environment summits.

The arbitrator expressed issue that the BASIC proposition was. meant to prevent discussions at COP29 on cutting CO2. emissions and financing from moving on.

A fight over the program at a round of U.N. environment. negotiations in 2023 did not get resolved for more than a week,. effectively killing off progress at the talks.

(source: Reuters)